shadowsong26 | another ficbit

Title: See No Evil
Rating: PG/PG-13
Summary: A seer in the Fire Nation learns that the Avatar will return soon.

For as long as Kirana could remember, she'd been able to see things in fire. The visions were strongest in her own, of course, but any flame would do. She didn't usually see anything of any great importance. When she looked on purpose, she mostly saw things to do with her brothers and sisters and friends. There were times when she saw things without looking, but those were usually immediate dangers to herself and those closest to her.

The first time she had a vision with more global consequences was on her ninth birthday. She didn't recognize the place, but she thought the boy getting burned was familiar. When she got to school the next day and saw the Firelord's posted picture, she realized why. She didn't know who was going to hurt the Crown Prince, only that someone would, probably within the next year, unless something happened to change what was now the most likely future.

Kirana fretted over that vision for a while. She'd managed to find ways to prevent the small disasters she'd forseen up until now--the consequences were usually close at hand, and she could influence events without telling anyone what she could do. But there wasn't any way for her to fix this without telling someone.

Before she reached a decision, she had another vision that completely blew the first from her mind. This one was a lot more vague, but a lot longer, showing her all kinds of possibilities springing from one moment that would happen.

In a little over three years, the Avatar would return.

She didn't know much beyond that, other than that reporting what she'd seen would mean victory for her people. It would mean justice for what had happened to her oldest sister during the Siege of Ba Sing Se--plus validation for all the people who had died there and in other places over the last century. Kirana was a good, worthy Fire citizen, planning to enter the temple for priest-training in a year, when she was old enough. She might even rise to be a Sage in time. Few women ever were, but it wasn't unheard of. She was a good girl, and telling what she saw would make her a hero.

Except it wouldn't, not really.

Firelord Ozai--may he reign a thousand summers--was known to be devious and ruthless. These weren't bad qualities in a ruler, exactly, but if he knew he had a seer at his disposal...

Kirana shivered. He wouldn't abuse her, exactly. She would be far too valuable for that. But her life would not be easy, or pleasant, or free. And she'd probably never get to enter the temple like she wanted, or even see her family again.

And she didn't know exactly why, but if what she had seen became known to the people in power, Princess Azula would succeed her father as Firelord, instead of Crown Prince Zuko. She didn't think she'd soon forget the visions about what would happen after that.

Knowing ahead of time when and where the Avatar would wake up would secure victory for her people. But it wouldn't be an easy victory, even removing him from play. Lots, lots, lots more people would die. And victory wouldn't automatically mean that the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes were pacified. She didn't really need a vision to know that.

So Kirana closed her eyes, studied for the entrance exams to the temple school, and tried to forget, whispering a prayer of apology to the dead she might have vindicated.